Well, water heater's bottom (near pilot light) is getting
rusted out, inner "door" is like a quarter eaten away (is
no longer rectangular), is 15 years old.

(Was looking in home-repair book, described how water heater
works (fairly obvious!), except learned about something
called the "sacrificial anode" -- so I guess that's gone,
no hope for the water heater to last. Also, drip drip drip.

So, what's out there? Anything decent available these days?


Thanks!

David

On Oct 12, 9:39*pm, (David Combs) wrote:
Well, water heater's bottom (near pilot light) is getting
rusted out, inner "door" is like a quarter eaten away (is
no longer rectangular), is 15 years old.

(Was looking in home-repair book, described how water heater
works (fairly obvious!), except learned about something
called the "sacrificial anode" -- so I guess that's gone,
no hope for the water heater to last. *Also, drip drip drip.

So, what's out there? * Anything decent available these days?

Thanks!

David

They're all pretty much the same (probably made by the same handful of
companies) unless you go to something real high end with a stainless
steel tank or similar.

Just look for something with a long warranty and/or multiple anodes.
Also I don't know if they still have them or not but I prefer a tank
with a standing pilot - that way if the power goes off you can still
have a hot shower.

Finally I recommend before you even fill the new tank to replace the
drain valve with something a little more robust - I used a dielectric
nipple, a 3/4" ball valve, a 3/4" MPT to male garden hose adapter, and
a brass garden hose cap to make one for mine. Something like this:

http://www.waterheaterrescue.com/pag...r-heaters.html

but made from stuff I had laying around and/or purchased at my local
plumbing store. When we moved into the house, I thought a good thing
to do would be to flush all the water heaters (I have three) - not a
good idea! every single drain valve failed in one fashion or
another. Fortunately I have only had to replace one tank, although of
course that one was the one upstairs in the garage and I didn't
realize it'd failed until water started coming through the ceiling
below. Whoops. New tank has a proper drain pan under it, you betcha.

Which reminds me, it's about time for the annual water heater flush...

nate

On Sun, 12 Oct 2008 19:20:12 -0700, N8N wrote:

On Oct 12, 9:39Â*pm, (David Combs) wrote:
Well, water heater's bottom (near pilot light) is getting rusted out,
inner "door" is like a quarter eaten away (is no longer rectangular),
is 15 years old.

(Was looking in home-repair book, described how water heater works
(fairly obvious!), except learned about something called the
"sacrificial anode" -- so I guess that's gone, no hope for the water
heater to last. Â*Also, drip drip drip.

So, what's out there? Â* Anything decent available these days?

Thanks!

David

They're all pretty much the same (probably made by the same handful of
companies) unless you go to something real high end with a stainless
steel tank or similar.

Just look for something with a long warranty and/or multiple anodes.
Also I don't know if they still have them or not but I prefer a tank
with a standing pilot - that way if the power goes off you can still
have a hot shower.

Finally I recommend before you even fill the new tank to replace the
drain valve with something a little more robust - I used a dielectric
nipple, a 3/4" ball valve, a 3/4" MPT to male garden hose adapter, and a
brass garden hose cap to make one for mine. Something like this:

http://www.waterheaterrescue.com/pag...ish/Longevity/
sediment-in-hot-water-heaters.html

but made from stuff I had laying around and/or purchased at my local
plumbing store. When we moved into the house, I thought a good thing to
do would be to flush all the water heaters (I have three) - not a good
idea! every single drain valve failed in one fashion or another.
Fortunately I have only had to replace one tank, although of course that
one was the one upstairs in the garage and I didn't realize it'd failed
until water started coming through the ceiling below. Whoops. New tank
has a proper drain pan under it, you betcha.

Which reminds me, it's about time for the annual water heater flush...

nate

Nate:

Replaced my HW Tank last spring. As someone already posted, they all
look the same, just the name on the tank is different. Lowes sells a
brand named Whirlpool, Whirlpool don't make HW tanks, Lowes just uses the
brand name for sales reasons. Warranties seemed about the same also.

BTW: cheaper price, higher install costs; the end total cost appeared to
me just a few dollars difference. The big savings comes with DIY
installs as then you just deal with the costs of the tank; I, however,
won't mess with Nat-Gas so I got hit hard with install costs.

Hopefully you won't have to go thru what I did. In my municipality, any
HW tank install requires a city building permit (about $70.00 fee for
inspection) plus the cost of the install is bumped up by about $200.00,
if needed, for installing a smaller diameter metal flue, and re-working
the chimney connection. The city inspector focused on the rise of the
metal flue, the mortar (some new pre-mixed stuff in a plastic tub) around
the metal flue and the bricks of the chimney.

I also got a lecture (free of charge) by the city inspector encouraging
me to install a carbon alarm in the basement area with furnace, HW tank,
and gas-dryer.

Aside: I found out a bit later, if replacing a gas furnace, that also
requires a building permit. The city requires a new chimney liner
modification to reduce the diameter of the chimney. Something about
major effort by city and county to reduce the back-drafting of flue gases
during very cold weather (below 0 degree F.)

On Oct 12, 8:39*pm, (David Combs) wrote:
Well, water heater's bottom (near pilot light) is getting
rusted out, inner "door" is like a quarter eaten away (is
no longer rectangular), is 15 years old.

(Was looking in home-repair book, described how water heater
works (fairly obvious!), except learned about something
called the "sacrificial anode" -- so I guess that's gone,
no hope for the water heater to last. *Also, drip drip drip.

So, what's out there? * Anything decent available these days?

Thanks!

David

Whats out there, units sold range in efficency from 55-95%, go to
www.energyster.gov and learn. If you want to save energy you must
shop by EF rating, not burner efficency, EF is how many cents on the
dollar go to heat water. Most of what is sold is 55-65EF so 45 -55 %
of your fuel is wasted. There are condensing tank of arounf 80 EF,
there are Tankless which I have of 82-95 EF. Tank water heaters are a
main waste of energy in the US. AO Smith makes the better stuff.

Whats out there, units sold range in efficency from 55-95%, go towww.energyster.gov�and learn. If you want to save energy you must
shop by EF rating, not burner efficency, EF is how many cents on the
dollar go to heat water. Most of what is sold is 55-65EF so 45 -55 %
of your fuel is wasted. There are condensing tank of arounf 80 EF,
there are Tankless which I have of 82-95 EF. Tank water heaters are a
main waste of energy in the US. AO Smith makes the better stuff.

tankless are a bad idea for most people, they have so many trade offs
and by the time you pay for the install its a loser.

On Oct 13, 8:11*am, " wrote:
Whats out there, units sold range in efficency from 55-95%, go towww.energyster.govand learn. If you want to save energy you must
shop by EF rating, not burner efficency, EF is how many cents on the
dollar go to heat water. Most of what is sold is 55-65EF so 45 -55 %
of your fuel is wasted. There are condensing tank of arounf 80 EF,
there are Tankless which I have of 82-95 EF. Tank water heaters are a
main waste of energy in the US. AO Smith makes the better stuff.

tankless are a bad idea for most people, they have so many trade offs
and by the time you pay for the install its a loser.

Talkin stupid again, mine is 8 yrs old, it paid for itself in 4, to
bad you couldnt afford one or even a new condensing unit on your
recent replacement. So you still have an inefficent new junk unit.

David Combs wrote:
Well, water heater's bottom (near pilot light) is getting
rusted out, inner "door" is like a quarter eaten away (is
no longer rectangular), is 15 years old.

So, what's out there? Anything decent available these days?

They certainly don't make 'em like they used to. I just replaced a
THIRTY year old Amana here about a month ago, with a GE 6-year
warranty unit from Home Depot. It was nowhere near rusting out that I
could tell, and made great hot water... AFTER you got done taking your
cold shower... It didn't keep the water hot, and didn't kick on until
the water was almost completely cold.

I've had many people tell me that the only difference between the 6
year tank and the 12 year tank is the price. Quality of build is the
same. You're paying for the warranty.

Warranties have lots of fine print, and a process to go through that
takes time. By the time all is said and done, you've been without hot
water for days or weeks, and you only get "prorated" value of the
tank, if you get anything at all.